NRL week 19 preview

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. Photo / Greg Bowker.

1. Match of the round

Roosters v Rabbitohs
It's one of those contrived "Rivalry Rounds" so by rights, every match should stake a claim to this slot. However, there's genuine enmity between these two clubs, with Souths fans taking pride in the fact they represent Struggle Street, while the Roosters are a bunch of Flash Harrys from the eastern beaches. It helps the Rabbitohs cause, too, that they are lording it over their cross-town rivals in both form and ladder position this season.

2. Inu watch

Jarryd Hayne reckons it's tough watching former teammate Krisnan Inu play so well for Canterbury when his side is struggling at the bottom of the NRL ladder. We suggest he puts himself in the shoes of the Warriors coaching staff, who flicked him on mid-season as damaged goods, only for the centre-winger to miraculously repair himself on the short hop across the Tassie.

3. Golden pointless

When St George lost to Brisbane in golden point last year, Wayne Bennett reportedly picked up the phone. "After I swallowed the bitter pill, I rang the NRL and said, 'You've got to change that rule'." It seems his opinion is rapidly gaining traction. Ten coaches including Bennett now want extra time of any variety scrapped next year and the traditional draw returned.

4. The judicial files

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Adam Blair have been suspended from this weekend's matches. Anyone would think there was an Anzac test on the schedule. For the record, Waerea-Hargreaves and Blair were mortified by their enforced break. The Roosters have accused the Sharks of running illegally into tackles, using their elbows and knees.

5. The backlash

"What a load of rubbish that is," Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said. "That is one of the most ludicrous things I have heard for a while. But it doesn't surprise me coming from them. How would they know what we are doing at training?" Flanagan insisted his third-placed side are rugged on the field but always fair.

"We teach our players to run hard and gain field position. To accuse us of running with elbows and knees is ridiculous. We are no different from any other team."

6. Good news

The Warriors have secured the services of sometime State of Origin prop Jacob Lillyman through to the end of 2014. The 28-year-old has been a valuable member of the Warriors since converting from the second-row to prop.